Railroads Cited as Top Military Friendly Employers

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Nov. 11, 2009 - America's freight rail industry was well represented in the annual Top 100 Military Friendly Employers for 2010 published by G.I. Jobs magazine. The magazine named four Class I freight railroads among the top 10 most military friendly employers, selecting Union Pacific as number one. CSX Corporation came in second among the top employers of military personnel, while BNSF Railway was fourth, and Norfolk Southern came in at number seven.

The nation's freight railroads maintain a strong commitment to the men and women who serve our country, said Edward R. Hamberger, president and CEO of the Association of American Railroads. We're proud that we can provide steady, good-paying jobs to America's veterans. It's a win-win. Veterans are highly skilled and possess maturity, discipline and a strong work ethic.

The G.I Jobs list surveyed companies with earnings of more than $500 million in annual revenues and based the rankings on areas such as active recruitment efforts and results in hiring America's former service members. The survey also looked at which companies have the best company policies for employees serving in the National Guard and Reserve.

Class I railroads aggressively seek out military personnel because they know a good thing when they see it.

G.I. Jobs noted that while Union Pacific slowed its overall hiring over the past year due to the economic climate, the company still developed a new military task team to spearhead its military recruiting efforts.

Union Pacific values the commitment, training and diversity that our Armed Forces bring to the workplace, said Barb Schaefer, Union Pacific senior vice president of human resources. Our continued efforts to attract veterans have resulted in a win-win situation for the company and the veterans we have hired.

The Military Officers Association of America (MOAA) recently recognized Union Pacific with its Distinguished Service Award for strongly supporting military men and women, especially employees in the National Guard and Reserve deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan. The company encourages military personnel to apply within three months of their separation date and maintains a section of their Web site dedicated to military hiring.

One in five CSX employees has served in the military. The company maintains a military section in the employment area of its Web site. Included on the site are videos about making the transition from the military to CSX and a feature that enables prospective hires to match their military experience with job opportunities. The site also offers testimonials from CSX employees who have previously served in the military.

Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) offers career opportunities for transitioning military personnel as well as veterans, retirees and members of National Guard and Reserves. Currently, over 100 BNSF employees are serving on active duty and over 1000 have been called to active duty since September 11, 2001. The company offers enhanced and extended benefits for those employees called to active duty in the War on Terrorism, including make-whole pay and benefits continuation. In 2009, BNSF received both the CivilianJobs.com Most Valuable Employers (MVE) for Military Award and the Texas National Guard's ESGR Prominence Award.

Norfolk Southern (NS) actively recruits potential hires with military backgrounds for careers in railroad operations and management. It is simple: veterans make great railroaders, said Cindy Earhart, NS vice president, human resources. We encourage veterans to consider careers with us because they have the safety, leadership and problem-solving skills that we need as our business grows. In 2009, military veterans comprised 10.1 percent of new hires for the railroad.

Kansas City Southern (KCS) includes targeting military personnel in all of its recruitment efforts. The company's efforts include job fairs, placing hiring stories in the media and advertisements in magazines such as G.I. Jobs. In 2008, KCS was recognized as a patriotic employer by The National Committee for Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR).

For more information about railroad careers for veterans, visit these Web sites:

Union Pacific: http://www.unionpacific.jobs/careers/explore/military/index.shtml

CSX: http://www.csx.com/?fuseaction=careers.military BNSF: http://www.bnsf.com/careers/military/index.html

Norfolk Southern: http://www.nscorp.com/nscportal/nscorp/Job_Seekers/ Kansas City Southern: https://kcsouthernenglish.silkroad.com/kansascitysouthern/JobSearch.html